No, I apologise BrownEyedTigre & also Kaki's Sister! At the time it seemed like complicated advice & you are of course right in that there are alternatives to the ludicrously expensive Excel - as well as Open Office there's also Microsoft Works which comes (or used to come) with new PCs but probably not as good?

I myself tend to store passwords in a small address book & shortcuts to download games in a folder on my desktop which automatically list in alphabetical order.

I would prefer disc versions of games but don't see the point if they need on-line activation. My main objections to downloading games is the time it can take (& I have quite a fast speed), limited activations, the inability to sell games on & the price of many new games.

I was reading with interest about the Kindle books - at least with a game whether it's a disc version or a download the experience of playing it is exactly the same, but reading on a gadget can't be the same as curling up with a physical copy can it?

Chrissie no need to apologize to me. These forums are here for us to get to know each other and express our views. That said lets all move on and enjoy our day.

We are on the same page oldbroad!

I remember reading a post from one person who kept a notebook by their computer, with all their passwords in it. This might be a solution for those who can't keep track of where their online games are. You don't need Excel or an Excel-clone to keep track of your games. Just write them down the old-fashioned way and keep the list in one place.

Even if you use the computer to store the list, you don't need Excel. Wordpad or Notepad is fine.

What Excel does is allow you to put things in categories and search by category. But that's not really necessary if all you want is a record of where your games are.

The main reason to use a spreadsheet app is the fact that if you have a lot of entries, you can hit the sort button and immediately put it in ABC order or date order or any other order you choose for easy sorting. That is why I use Excel (yes I have Microsoft Office on my computers) for almost anything I need to keep track of because you can manipulate it quickly anyway you choose. They are also very easy to use for these functions. The only time they get complicated is when using formulas on them for automatic calculations. There is no need to be afraid of them otherwise.

Ana

RE: Spreadsheets--All right, I have to admit to a touch of compulsiveness here. (More than a touch?) I have a workbook (multiple spreadsheets) with several tabs for my gaming hobby. One is for games I own and still need to play. They're listed in categories (Adventure, Simulation, Casual, RPG, etc.) and alphabetically. The cells are colored coded to tell me where I bought the download games or whether it is on discs. Another tab in the workbook lists the games I've played. Another tab, games I'd like to buy. I have a tab for game codes and one for game site user names and passwords, and a tab for notes on making games work on Win 7.

What can I say? I'm into lists!

PS: I used to use MS Office, but after retiring, I now use LibreOffice, which developed from Open Office.

Now that's some classy organisation, lanlynk!

Aren't spreadsheets awesome lanlynk? I was an accountant for 30 years so I learned to love what they can do to make your life easier.

Use of spreadsheets can be of great use, once a person learns the software. And they can quickly organize lists once they are properly setup. However, and not to throw a monkey wrench into the mix, but unless you print out your spreadsheets, or have a backup apart of the computer, a severe crash will wipe out all the work.

As to keeping passwords/user IDs in a spreadsheet, if a password is needed to login on the computer, that password should be jotted down and kept somewhere safe. If you forget that password, it's going to be very hard to get onto the computer to open the spreadsheet containing that password.

Good points to remember! I try to keep updated printouts. I also have synching software that I use to synch data from my computer to my home server as backup ... and to my laptop for some of the less private info.

So here's another question: How do people organize their boxed games? In a closet? Displayed? I have two shelves with games placed by type and series. My unplayed games are set apart.

Organized?
Lol! It's like reading notes from an alien species to see all this about spreadsheets and classified games.

I do have my dozens of passwords written down but I hope I never have to actually type them.
Length is the great thing and nothing that could conceivably make sense, but it sure makes them hard to read.

My passwords for regular use are all where I can just copy and paste them.
A darned sight less risky than typing them in for a keylogger, IMO.
Many years on, I've never had an account hacked.
(I know, famous last words.)

Gil.

"My passwords for regular use are all where I can just copy and paste them.
A darned sight less risky than typing them in for a keylogger, IMO."

Some sites won't accept a "copied and pasted" password. You have to type it in

I used to have one that refused a copy/paste.
Believe it or not, it was my bank.
Worse, they used to insist on Internet Explorer.
They have at last crawled into this century.

My games are in happy disarray on my shelves but I kinda doubt my boxed collection will get any bigger.

Gil.

It would seem disk versions of Adventure games and RPGs are perhaps still more widely available in the UK ?? As my downloadeds certainly number very few and my game shelves are still getting added to

The Casuals I buy, on the other hand, are almost exclusively downloads but then they mainly come from BigFish

You are probably right about the availability of boxed games in the UK as opposed to the US, Mad, considering the way Dave at Interact used to have to import them for us.

Gil.

I have a couple of questions about digital games. You have to excuse me if they are widely known, but I've never bought any digital games so I don't know the rules.

What happens when the company that produces the game closes? As I understand it, an online store gives back to the company that produced the game a percentage of the money. So if that company doesn't exist anymore, does the online store continues to sell the game and keep all the money for themselves, or they stop selling the game and the game disappears?

Can people sell or gift their DRM-free digital games? How can they make sure that the seller doesn't sell the same game multiple times?